Jack Kehler, known for his roles in The Big Lebowski and The Man in the High Castle, has died at the age of 75.
Philadelphia (US) – Perhaps the best-known Jack Kehler, the landlord of The Big Lebowski’s “The Dude,” has died. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a representative of Kehler’s talent agency, SMS Talent, confirmed his death from a complication of leukemia. Kehler died in Los Angeles on Saturday. He was 75 years old.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1946, Kehler is one of Hollywood’s most successful character actors and has appeared in more than 170 films. Like many in his field, Kehler began his career as a waiter in New York. He decided to become an actor at the age of 24 and finally found his way to a famous actor studio in 1982, a year before his screen debut at Strange Invaders (1983).
Kehler soon became a regular on television, starring in breakthrough shows such as Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere, as well as in the miniseries Fresno alongside Carol Burnett, Dabney Coleman, Teri Garr, and Charles Grodin. In the early 90’s he starred in Kathryn Bigelow’s surfing-robbers blockbuster Point Break. In the early 90’s, kehler participated in some of the most popular shows of the era, including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Northern Exposure, Wings, and ER.
dreams of leading a modern dance show entitled “Dance Moderne,” he earned the sympathy and respect of The Dude and audiences, turning a few lines into a memorable and hilarious turn that grows funnier and more poignant with every viewing.
His movie career began to take off after his 1995 appearance in Waterworld, after which he landed roles in Lethal Weapon 4 and David Lynch’s Lost Highway. But it was as The Dude’s Landlord in Joel and Ethan Coen’s cult classic The Big Lebowski that he delivered his signature role.
In the 2000s, Kehler continued a career as a prolific character actor, with roles in Men In Black II, Mad Men, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Love, Victor, and The Man In The High Castle.
